Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Have a severe gas smell in the cab have had 3 different auto mechanic shops look at it cant find the source had gas lines replaced, gas filter and smoked nothing they are stumped and my people are good want to know what the ######## are you gonna do about this problem Ford. Help its making me have headaches n feel sick and it smells sitting and driving. Its non stop n getting worst.
Driving down the hwy the powertrain malfunction indicator came on. I lost all use of the fuel pedal and brake. Had to get to the side of the hwy with out dying. If I turn the car off and back on the indicator is gone and works just fine. This situation has happened at least 5 times in the last 3 months. Nothing shows up when I plug in a code reader.
Just recently noticed my 06 Ford Explorer having unexpected engine surges. Went to stop at an intersection and it felt like the vehicle was fighting me to stop. When the light turned green I gave it a little gas however the vehicle begin to maintain that speed like I had the cruise control on. I purposely did not give the vehicle any gas and saw that it just kept accelerating. Finally after breaking out I began to brake and again felt the vehicle accelerating. Since no one was in front of me I wanted to see what the vehicle did if I gave it a little gas in which it made a popping sound and did not respond when I gave it more gas but the engine still was running. I pulled over and put the vehicle in park. I tried to rev the engine but it did not respond. A wrench light came on during this process. I turned the vehicle off then on again in which it seemed there was nothing wrong. …
This vehicle has been jerking when I am going slow to the point as if someone hit me in the rear end of the vehicle. It is a very strong jerking sensation enough to frighten any reasonable individual. It also has been trying to accelerate when my foot was on the brake pedal and not in cruise control while going well below the minimum speed necessary to use the cruise control. The auto acceleration was while at 10 miles per hour or less and my foot was on the brake. This has become more and more frequent and I am worried it could be the computer, the transmission, the engine, or a control system not functioning properly. This has happened on multiple occasions with passengers in the vehicle. My parents were frightened when it happened. I am worried the thing May accelerate on its own and hurt another vehicle(s) or its passengers. …
I own a 2006 Ford Explorer xlt with a 4.0 v6. Recently I was filling up with gas and it began clicking off every 1/2 gallon. I eventually filled up after about 20 minutes. I tried again the next day, thinking it was the pump, same problem. Ended up taking apart the whole fuel line system looking for a clog. No such luck. Finally decided it must be the EVAP/charcoal canister. There is a TSB on this issue, so Ford obviously knows about it. But I had to wait for the part to come in, and had no other vehicle to drive, so I just continued filling up for 30 minutes just to get a full tank. The worst part was that you could hear the bubbling down the line, since the charcoal canister would not properly release pressure from the tank. Sometimes the gas would even come back out the fill hole and spray me with gas (a real safety issue). …
Dear sir first of all , I would like to state that I am not a us citizen , but , I'm a family man & I feel for others , I own a Ford Explorer 06 , and recently I've been noticing that the trans has a mind of it's own , shifting wrongly , jolting into gear is not enjoyable or safe, the other day I was about to have an accident because the trans refused to shift when I tried to accelerate in order to escape a situation of hitting a car next to me , I've looked it up on the internet & found that everybody is complaining of the same issues , you can go for the below site & check http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2006/transmission/transmission_lunges_hard_jolt_when_shifting.shtml the problem is that Ford won't admit that there is something wrong with the transmission , putting peoples life in danger for a few dollars more please fix this as it's very critical & dangerous at the same …
Tl contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. In December of 2008, the contact attempted to fill the vehicle with fuel, but the fuel would come back out of the filler neck. It took approximately 15 minutes to place five gallons of fuel in the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and they stated that they repaired the vehicle. When the contact attempted to fill the vehicle with fuel the same day, he continued to experience the same failure. The vehicle was driven to another dealer and they stated that the fresh air hose, which was connected to the fuel housing unit, was not allowing the fuel system to vent properly. The mechanic stated that the reservoir EVAP canister and the fuel vapor hose needed to be replaced in order for the vehicle to be repaired. The manufacturer stated that they were not liable for the repairs. The current mileage was 50,787 and failure mileage was 48,000. …
I noticed a yellow fluid leaking from the thermostat housing. I took it to a mechanic and he said that the antifreeze was leaking from somewhere in the manifold, probably the thermostat housing. We replaced the thermostat housing and brand new o-rings and added silicone sealant around the affected areas. We are still seeing the leaking. I have seen this complaint numerous times and it is time that Ford take responsibility for the plastic parts that are connected to the engine. Ford must use metal parts to replace these for me because plastic warps in the heat of florida. The affected parts are the thermostat housing and it's connection to the engine. I have a 2006 Ford Explorer eddie bauer 4.0 with 55K mileage. Good maintenance always, oil changed regularly, fluids checked and maintained regularly. Ford must fix this!
On my 2006 Explorer I am unable to fill the tank with gasoline. It almost immediately backs up the fill tube and turns the fuel pump off. It's been to many mechanics who have told me that the problem is with the fuel tank itself. They have said that it should have been a recall on Ford's part long ago. Because of this problem I will be unable to pass emissions test because the vehicle is sensing a fuel vapor leak. Also I have searched the internet far and wide and found many people who say they have the same problem. They have brought their vehicles specifically to Ford dealerships who have charged them money to replace parts that did not fix the issue what so ever. Please look further into this problem. On behalf of many others and myself, thank you for your time!
The filling of gas in the vehicle is almost impossible- the gas shuts off every 2-3 gallons then spits gas back out all over the person trying to fill it. Resulting in gas being spilled out everywhere on the vehicle, the driver, the ground. This began happening every few times getting gas and now it is everytime. I looked this up online to find a TSB 07-25-3 problem accompanied by DTC p0451 saying this happens alot on Ford explorers built before 11/27/07. I called the Ford dealer service department they said this happens all the time. That the EVAP canister and vapor line will have to be replaced. Why is this not a recall? It's not safe to have gas sprayed on you and the car and ground everytime you try to get gas. Thank you for your concern.
Fuel System complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2006 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2006 Ford Explorer, 4% of the model year's 630 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford Explorer fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2006 Ford Explorer, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Ford Explorer fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.